Chin-support for laying out the dead



(No Model.)

P. R. FALES. 011111 SUPPORT FOR LAYING OUT THE DEAD.

No. 573,178. Pat'ent ed 1160.15, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERRIS R. FALES, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

CHIN-SUPPORT FOR LAYING OUT THE DEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,178, dated December 15, 1896.

Application filed April 28, 1896. Serial No. 589,470, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FERRIS R. FALES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chin-Supports for Laying Out the Dead; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my chin-supporting appliance for the laying out of the dead in the position it appears in when applied to the head of a corpse and prior to the clamp-like retention of the persons lower jaw in place. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my appliance, representing same as it appears when in such position or adjustment as to lockingly and firmly uphold the persons lowerj aw (chin and lower lip) in proper place; and Fig. 3 is an elevational front plan or face View of said device, the parts being relatively arranged as shown in the preceding figure.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the views of the drawings.

My invention has reference to that class of appliances designed for the supporting or up holding of the lower jaw of the head of a deceased person soon following demise for the proper preparing and laying out of the dead body for viewing and burial.

The object of my invention is the production of an appliance of the species stated which is of light, simple, yet durable construction 5 adapted to diiferential adjustment; easy, expeditious, and positive in its operation; applicable to varying-sized heads; wherein a positive leverage and locking of essential members is absolutely insured; wherein any disarrangement or displacement by reason of any handling or moving of a corpse incidental to its laying out is impossible; an appliance enabling the supporting of the persons chin and lower lip concurrently, or merely the chin alone, and the attainment of other features of value imparting value and efficiency to a device of this character.

My invention. consists'in the novel features of construction, operation, and adaptability hereinafter described, and which are specifically enumerated in the annexed clauses of claim.

, Referring to the drawings herewith, A denotes a metallic head-band of an are or seg ment shape, except its opposite pendent extremities, which are so curved as to extend concavingly inward a moderate degree 1on gitudinally, as indicated at (a a, the correspondingly-terminating ends being straight and each provided with a rivet or pin hole. Said head-band, formed of a thin and elongated strip of spring-steel plate or other suitable spring metal and formed to proper configuration, is adapted to fit closely around the crown of the head incliningly, its ends at each side extending downward a distance approximating to the location of the lobes of the ears, the inward concaved portions a a being so relatively situated that their inner convexed surfaces may press firmly against each contiguous side of the persons head directly over the ears.

Bis a segment-shaped lever, terminating at its opposite sides in parallel straight extremities b b of requisite and equal length and respectively carrying at their ends holes for the reception of a rivet or pin. This howlike lever is pivotally connected at its ends to the respective extremities of the head-band A by means of rivets or upset-pins c c, and is of such length and sweep as to permit of its freely passing by and inclosingly over the head-band. This, like the head-band, is formed of a strip of spring-steel or other satisfactory spring metal brought to shape.

The forward edges of the straight sides I) b of the semicircular lever B are serrated a requisite distance, creating a series of upwardlyprojecting teeth cl (1.

C C are sliding clasps or travelers mounted upon the respective serrated sections 1) b of the aforementioned lever, and are adapted to longitudinal travel thereon. Each of said clasps or carriers is provided with upper and lower ears or shoulders e c, said ears extending laterally from the forward edge of a clasp a like distance and interiorly slotted. To each upper ear of the clasps there is pivotally secured a spring pawl or dog D, its trigger or handle portion extending in proximity to the lower ear, while its hook-like tooth-engaging head projects slightly above the clasp and normally in positive engagement withv a tooth of the serrated edge of a length I) of the lever B by reason of the pressure exerted by the spring f outwardly against the opposite extremity of said pawl or dog.

E indicates the semicircular-shaped jawband, preferably formed, as shown, of springwire, either steel or other suitable metal, al though, as is obvious, a properly-formed metallic strip may be substituted, if so desired, said jaw-band depending from the clasps or carriers 0 C by means of the pivotal connection of its parallel upstanding extremities g g with the lower ears 6 of the respccti ve clasps.

.This jaw-band, which extends down and around the persons lower jaw and out of 0011- tact with the chin, is provided at its central and lowermost part with an uplying chin- .plate of curvilinear shape and so contoured .as to adapt its forming a suitable rest for the chin, said chin-plate being indicated by the letter F. Preferably said part is constructed of sheet metal stamped to requisite shape.

This chin-plate, of a size sufficient to nicely fit the end of the chin, is upheld by a small post h, projecting downward centrally from the plate, said post or stem having a transing curvilinear-like wire or rod support '2 that at its lower and horizontally-straight por tion enters an aperture in the post 72, of the chin-plate contiguous the lower end of said .post and at a right angle to the direction of the aperture receiving the wire chin-band. The lip-plate, preferably of sheet metal and of a size and contour to properly fit beneath the lower lip of a person, has centrallly beneath it an interiorly-threaded boss 7p, wherein works the upper straight and threaded portion of the curvilinear support '5, said straight upper vertical portion and the lower horizontally-elongated portion being connected bya forwardly-stallding segment-shaped part adapted to clear the chin of the deceased.

lVhile almost invariably it is desirable to support the lower lip as well as the chin of a corpse until rigor mom's occurs, yet in some instances there may be but little or no dropping of the lip and no necessity for furnishing artificial support thereto, in which case the lip-plate may be so lowered as not to touch the lip, or its curvilinear support may be withdrawn from its seat in the post of the chinplate.

In operating my appliance it is applied to the head of a dead human body in a position substantially corresponding to that shown in Fig. 1, the head-band passing over and fitting snugly to the head, as hereinbefore specified,

the segmental-shaped lever standing out forward of the forehead and the chin-plate pendent beneath the lower jaw and chin. The next procedure is to grasp the jaw-band and propel it upwardly, carrying the chin up um til the heretofore-depressed lower jaw is' in thorough contact with the stationary upper jaw of the corpse, and concurrently the lipplate is carried compressingly against the 1111- der lip of said corpse. The members being situated as described, the next step is to seize the segment-shaped lever and swing it rearwardly over the head such a degree as to cause it to fit closely over the head-band, whereby thorough impingement of the chin and lip by the chin-plate and lip-plate is attained and a vise-like retention and locking of the parts in required position are absolutely insured, all as exemplified in Fig. 2 of the drawings. After rigormortis occurs and the lower jaw, chin, and under lip now being set my appliance is detached from the head through a reversal of the operation just described.

The operation of the clasps and their dogs and the adjustment of the lip-plate and support are so apparent that it seems needless to enter into any detailed description thereof.

Should, as frequently happens, one side of the face or jaw be swollen, distorted, or lopsided, the jaw-band can be readily accommodated thereto by merely propelling one of the pawl-provided clasps a greater distance up along a serrated side of the lever than that of the opposite clasp on the other serrated side, whereby the jaw-band is necessarily thrown sidewise.

The retention of the parts by the locking feature is so absolute that any handling or moving of the body by the person or persons laying out same will not cause disturbance or dislodgment of my appliance.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a segment-shaped head-band, a segmentshaped lever pivotally connected therewith, and a pendent segment-shaped jaw-band pivotally suspended from the lever aforesaid, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a segment-shaped head-band, a segment-shaped lever pivotally connected by its lower ends to the lower extremities of the head-band, a segment-shaped jaw-band adjustably retained by the lever member, and a chin-plate mounted upon the lower portion of the jaw-band, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a device of the class described, of a segment-shaped head-band having concaved sides, a segment shaped lever pivotally connected at its ends to the extremities of the head-band, clasps or car-- riers upon the straight lengths of the lever and longitudinally movable thereon, a jawband of segment shape depending from said clasps by pivotal connection therewith of its extremities, a chin-plate mounted centrally upon the jaw-band, and a lip-plate also con nected with said band contiguous to the chinplate, substantially as described.

4:. The combination, in a device of the class described, of a segment-shaped head-band having curved extremities, a segment-shaped lever hinged by its extremities to the ends of the head-band, and adapted when closed to pass over the head-band, teeth on the forward edges of the straight portions of the lever, olasps or carriers upon said serrated portions and adapted to longitudinal travel, spring-pawls to said clasps and normally engaging the serrated edges, a segment-shaped 

